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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Saltwater Memories

What a memory.

Our beach vacation has come and gone and we're left with nothing but photographs and the long-lingering smell of seawater.

The trip was wonderful. My boys enduring their first 12-hour drive like champs, armed with plenty of goldfish and juice. The DVD player went nonstop and more than once I looked back and saw them giggling or holding hands. Road trip bliss.

Once we arrived, my children greeted the sea for the first time. Nathan warily watched the tide roll over his bare feet, but Owen was ready to jump in headfirst (naturally). We ate all the crab and popcorn shrimp Destin could offer, we sailed aboard a ship that showed us turqouise waters and friendly dolphins, we dug and scraped and played in the sand, and we watched.

We watched the clear gulf water sweep in and sweep out. Different and unexpected every time, but constant all the same. We watched small crabs scuttle onto the shore and a sea turtle paddle the waves, paying no attention to the sun-drenched tourists. We watched our boys take it all in. New things to see, new words to learn, new experiences to be lived.

We watched as night fell and the horizon became a blue blur. It was the time of evening that everything was eclipsed by a calm, dark indigo. My eyes played tricks on me as I tried to make out the water from the sky. Then bright stars began to dot the upper level, differentiating the two.

We watched as rolling carts carried our belongings, more numerous than before, to load our cars and start the journey home. We watched the waves one last time, knowing that even when we couldn't see them, they would continue to jump and retreat all the same.

NOW. Aside from taking in everything our eyes could manage, what is it that we actually did in Destin? Glad you asked, because it was a lot! Here, let me show you:

Thanks to all my family members for an amazing, relaxing vacation. The boys and I had a blast and we are primed and ready to do it again. It won't be too long before those salty waves start calling my name again. Happy Saturday, ya'll!